"We can't sit idly by while China races to the forefront of clean-energy projects at the expense of U.S. manufacturing, U.S. jobs and U.S. energy independence," Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio, a cosponsor, said in a statement March 3. "And we certainly can't shoot ourselves in the foot by helping to finance Chinese clean-energy production."

Asia makes more than half the world's wind and solar energy equipment and is widening its lead. China invested $34.5 billion in low-carbon energy technologies last year, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The U.S. spent $18.6 billion.